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Washington DC

Washington DC is a great place to go on a budget! Most of the sites of DC are free and within walking distance of each other. I have gone to DC more times than I can count, with all but 3 times being day trips. If you are going to DC definitely check out these places:

• Air and Space Museum-FREE
  
• National Museum of American History-FREE
  
• National Museum of Natural History-FREE
  
• Lincoln Memorial-FREE
  
• WWII Memorial-FREE
  
• Korean War Memorial-FREE
  
• Vietnam Memorial-FREE
  
• Ford's Theathre-FREE
  
• Martin Luther King Memorial>-FREE
  
• National Mall-FREE
  
• Old Post Office Tower-FREE
  
• Thomas Jefferson Memorial-FREE
  
• Washington Monument-FREE
  
• National Museum of the American Indian-FREE
  
• Smithsonian American Art Museum-FREE
  
• National Zoo-FREE
  
• FDR Memorial-FREE
  
• Bureau of Engraving and Printing-FREE
  
• National Archives-FREE
  
• Library of Congress-FREE
  
• Arlington Cemetery-FREE
  
• Supreme Court-FREE
  
• Union Station-FREE
  
• Holocaust Memorial Museum-Free
  

Acadia National Park

Acadia is such a gem on in the northeast. Every which way you look the scenery is breath taking. Off the coast of Maine lies an island that doubled as a National Park. Beautiful lakes, majestic mountains, and breathtaking forests make up this gorgeous place. I was fortunate to travel here in the beginning of August. Fortunately for you there are so many different places to stay in Acadia! From tent camping, to five star hotels, to small cozy cottages, there is lodging for every budget! For any of these options do your research! Campsites have such a wide range in prices so make sure you do your research. Campsites are a great way to save on money for families!  Many of them are family campgrounds so they have people constantly there so make sure you book a good time ahead of time so that you make sure you get a reservation.  National Park Campgrounds There are also plenty of other campgrounds not in the National Park!  Acadia over all is pretty inexpensive to visit.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK PASSES

Entrance Pass - $20 June 23-early October; $10 May 1-June 22 and early October-October 31
Good for entrance into Acadia National Park for one vehicle for seven days, including the date of purchase.

Individual Entrance Pass - $5
Good for entrance into Acadia National Park for one individual (pedestrian, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.) for seven days, including date of purchase.

Acadia Annual Pass - $40
Good for entrance into Acadia National Park for one vehicle for one year from date of purchase.

Acadia Fees
Bar Harbor is only a short drive away from the National Park and has many small stores and waterfront views to window shop all day.

Acadia Website

Roughing It in Beverly Hills

In the summer of 2008 I traveled the US on a ten day road trip through the southwest. In only ten days we hit California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona! It may seem a tad insane, but it was a great experience that is truly unforgettable! While visiting the land of make believe we camped out in the gorgeous Santa Monica Mountains at the Malibu Creek State Park. During the day we walked amongst the stars and at night we slept under the stars. LA is quite costly pretty everything, so camping was a great way for us to save some money. We woke up in the morning to a beautiful view of the mountains. The sunrise over the mountains was breathtaking and as the fog lifted it created a magical piece of scenery. It was an amazing way to wake up every morning.

Houston

What a great experience it has been being in Houston Texas for the Girl Scout National Convention. Here is just one of the experiences I had.

Youtube-Get Up and Go Episode 2

Get Up and Go Podcast 2

Yummy Travel Tips

Do Something Different

Sure you can spend a ton of money swimming with dolphins in a pool or you can save money and swim with manatees in their natural habitat!  I have gone on a manatee swim, which included a three hour trip through Crystal River in which we swam/snorkeled with manatees throughout the three hours.  Swimming with manatees cost anywhere from $35-$99 per person, with most ranging in the $40 range.  The tour was amazing and we had ample opportunity to swim with the manatees, it truly was a unique and amazing experience.

About 2 hours away is Discovery Cove a popular destination for vacationers in the Orlando area.   I personally have not been to Discovery Cove, so I cannot give you any personal stories.  However, I can give you the astronomical prices.  For a half an hour dolphin experience, which includes wading with dolphins in a pool for most of the duration and going into the deep end for the dolphin to push you back in or grab on to the dolphin's fin to be pulled in.  The dolphin experience also includes admission into the park.  This package costs anywhere from $200-$400.

So, for a family of four to go swimming with manatees it would cost $160, which is less than one admission and dolphin experience at Discovery Cove.  For a family of four to go to Discovery Cove for the day including the dolphin experience with the individual cost being $300 a person would add up to $1,200!  Wouldn't you rather go on a more unique and unforgettable experience and save $1,040?  Yes, of course there is the gas cost from Orlando to Crystal River and back.  For a vehicle that gets around 20mpg it will cost around $30.00 round trip in gas, for a vehicle that gets around 15mpg it will cost around $40.00 round trip.

Even with the cost of gas, you still save $1,000!  Wouldn't it be nice to have an extra $1,000?  I think so!

Happy Traveling!
Chelsea

Podcast

Here is my first Podcast! Enjoy! As of right now I am waiting for iTunes approval for the Podcast to be published onto iTunes.  I will let you know when it is posted!
Podcast

Make History FUN!

Many kids find history boring and do not understand the point in learning about it. However history does not have to be boring at all! Traveling can create the perfect mix of fun and history so that your kids and you and your kids learn in while having a great time! I would have to say my favorite historical spot that mixed fun and learning perfectly was Plimoth Plantation. If you haven't been there already I highly recommend it! It mixes a historical village with reenacting! As you walk through the village you can enter multiple buildings and houses that make you feel as if you went back in time. There are people all around in period outfits that reenact the life of the original settlers. You can talk to a woman cooking and cleaning food for her family as she tells you what she did yesterday living in Plymouth or to a man doing work on his house as he tells you about the harsh winter they just went through. It is like stepping back in time and submersing your self in all of the sites, smells, emotions, and noises of that era. I remember talking to a woman who told us of her journey over to Plymouth in the Mayflower, it was truly amazing. Walk down a path a little ways and enter the the Wampanoag Village. Enter the wetus and speak to Wampanoags and learn what life was like for the native people before and after European settlers came to Plymouth.

What is great about Plymouth is that you do not even realize you are learning! You feel like you are just having a normal conversation with the people who experienced Plymouth in the 17th century. To learn more about Plimouth Plantation visit there website www.plimoth.org.

Get Up and Go Teaser!

Also check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEdWUCqb-lI

Youtube

I am currently in the process of editing the teaser for the Youtube show for all your travel tips! The show will be entitled "Get Up and Go"
STAY TUNED!

Mmmm...Mmmm...Good Cheap Travels

Think about your last vacation. Now think about every restaurant you ate at. Can you remember? If you can, now think about what you ate at each. Can you remember? For most people you probably can't. Food, unless it was the reasoning of your vacation, is pretty unimportant. Yes, you need food, but how much do you truly have to spend? I can probably guess the answer, too much! People waste so much money on food on their vacations. Food is necessary, but the amount you spend is not.

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A great way to save money is to not eat out while away. Now, I'm not saying the entire trip, rather the majority of your time.

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What's On The Menu?

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BREAKFAST: Most hotels, lucky for you, offer free breakfast. That is one thing you should look for in a hotel. Most offer cereal, bagels, muffins, fruit, and some even offer waffles and eggs. Use the complimentary breakfasts to your advantage. It will not only save you money, but also time.

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LUNCH: You're out and about, seeing all of the sites and taking in the atmosphere. Now, it's time for lunch. Your stomach is grumbling and yelling at you to feed it. You don't want to sit down at a restaurant because that takes up too much time. I have the solution. Pack your lunch. You can pack with you before you leave, a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jelly, and depending on how long you are traveling, cans of chicken and tuna. None of these require a cooler. So you do not end up with dry chicken or tuna bring a jar of mayo, you don't have to keep it in the cooler, unless it is very hot. Instead of carrying bread with you, which can get squished, bring a bag or two of tortillas and make wraps. You can mix in the mayo right in the can, saving you the hassle of carrying a dirty bowl or just slap on some peanut butter and jelly. You can do all of this in the car or make it ahead of time and carry the lunch with you. If you flew, share a suitcase with someone and use the unused one to pack all of your food items to check in!

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DINNER: The invention of electricity and microwaves make traveling a lot cheaper. A great thing to invest in and pack with you on your travels is an electric skillet. You can make so many different types of food on this little plate it is amazing! On trips I have taken we have made chicken fajitas, hot dogs, hamburgers, and reheated various dinners. The great thing about these, they are small and easy to clean. If you have the space for it in your suitcase, a George Forman Grill would work just as well. Microwaves also help in cheap and easy dinners! If all of this is a bit of a hassle, check ahead of time for local restaurants, pizza places, cafes, and diners to compare the prices before you leave!

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I would like to thank my mother, Susan, for inspiring this post. She was my Girl Scout leader and we used to do all of this! So, if you're thinking, well this seems like good advise, but does it work? I can personally say that it does!